The Key to Friendship
by Mischel
Summary: 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY - It's been exactly 10 years of Merlin living in Camelot and working for Arthur, and he just wants to spend it peacefully and in Camelot. Unfortunately, he's been stuck with Arthur on the road for days. Arthur might seem like he doesn't care, but really, he just wants to give Merlin a gift. - humor/friendship, and sheep! Bromance, but can be Merthur if you want.


**Happy Merlin Day guys! I didn't have much time today, but I managed to write this little thing. I hope you like it!**

 **Enjoy!**

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 *** THE KEY TO FRIENDSHIP ***

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It was late September, and the sun was high in the sky. A typical day in Camelot, one would say. Except that for Merlin, it wasn't.

Today marked exactly ten years since he had started working for Arthur as his manservant.

Despite their early and often disagreements, from a simple prince and his servant they have become the king and his adviser. And their friendship still continued to grow – they didn't have any secrets.

Arthur knew about Merlin's magic, and Merlin knew . . . well, everything there was to know about Arthur.

That said, today was indeed a very special day for Merlin.

And yet he'd been stuck in the forest with Arthur for _days_.

They didn't have much water left, and they had had to hunt animals – for Merlin, that was worse than having to personally wash Arthur's dirty underwear. But thankfully, their trip was near the end and they were on their way to Camelot. With a bit of luck, they'd arrive at the gates this evening.

" _Mer_ lin, are you even listening to me?" Arthur groaned as they neared a bridge over a river in front of them.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Of course I am, my lord."

He knew Arthur could tell that that was a lie. "Then what did I just order you to do?"

"I thought we were past _orders_ , now you just _ask_ me to do things-"

" _Mer_ lin," Arthur warned him.

Merlin really had no idea what Arthur had been talking about. "You _asked_ me not to lose the key you gave me?"

It was a really small key that Arthur had given Merlin the previous day over a campfire. He hadn't told Merlin what the key unlocked or why he'd thought Merlin would be the best person to guard it, but now it was in Merlin's pocket and Merlin hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since.

"No, _idiot,_ " Arthur sighed as he stopped and turned to him – he was walking in front of Merlin, leading the way. "I told you to fill the waterskin."

Merlin looked at the bridge that they were now standing on and at the river flowing beneath it. There was an empty waterskin in their backpack that he was carrying.

"Right," he mumbled as he stared into Arthur's eyes with a pout and removed his backpack, opening it, not breaking the eye contact.

Arthur just sighed and rolled his eyes. "What is it with you today? You're uncharacteristically quiet and when you're not, you're just grumpy."

"That is my usual behaviour when I'm around you," Merlin mumbled as he climbed down to the bank of the river, opening the waterskin to let the water flow in.

"That's not true," Arthur told him, folding his arms on his chest. "Something's bothering you."

Merlin knew Arthur was right – his king knew him, and he could see when Merlin was upset.

"Tell me," Arthur added.

Merlin sighed again and closed the waterskin – it was full. Then he looked up at Arthur, who'd stayed on the bridge.

"I just don't like these long trips," he shrugged. "Besides, we're going to spend the entire day just walking, and it's . . . today it's been exactly ten years for me in Camelot," Merlin confessed. He didn't even know if Arthur knew that or if he cared.

But it didn't matter – it was a stupid anniversary anyway. Who even celebrated having spent ten years in a new kingdom and city with new friends and family?

Arthur rolled his eyes at him. "Alright, I understand. You want to get back to Camelot soon. But you should hurry up, then." He turned away and started walking down the road again – towards Camelot.

This time it was Merlin's time to groan. But Arthur was right – if he really wanted to get back to Camelot by the evening, they had to go faster.

He sighed and ran up to the bridge again, taking a sip of water from the waterskin and putting it back into the backpack. Then he crossed the bridge and caught up with Arthur.

They walked beside each other now and Merlin shoved his hands into his pockets, visibly sulking.

 _Oh no._

Both of his pockets were _empty_.

"What is it now?" Arthur asked when he noticed Merlin started looking through his pockets frantically.

He stopped walking, Arthur stopping a few seconds later. Merlin looked up at Arthur with slight panic in his eyes – and all it took for Arthur to understand was this one look from Merlin.

" _Mer_ lin," his eyes grew wide in anger. "What did I tell you not to do!"

"Lose the key," Merlin sighed as he realized it really was gone, _lost_. His shoulders slumped.

"Unbelievable!" Arthur turned around on the spot, bringing his hands up to his face.

"I'm sorry!" Merlin told him.

"Seriously, Merlin, I tell you _one_ thing and you don't even-"

"Hey, you really shouldn't be mad at me, it's my anniversary!"

"And?"

" _And_ it's kinda your fault, too! You didn't tell me whether the key was even important, what was I supposed to think?"

"That when I tell you not to lose it, you do whatever it takes not to lose it!" Arthur yelled and then closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Merlin groaned when he realized they would need to go back and search for the stupid little key - which meant that they wouldn't get to Camelot tonight, but might have to sleep in the forest again.

"We need to go back and find it." Arthur made the final decision.

"Why is the key so important?" Merlin asked as he already followed Arthur back to the bridge and over the river.

"Because it's a key, _Mer_ lin, and usually keys serve to unlock things."

"What kind of things does it unlock, then?" Merlin rolled his eyes. "You know I can get anywhere anyway."

"Some of us don't have magic and prefer _keys_ , _Mer_ lin," Arthur told him, his voice firm. "Now let's go."

"Well, at least I can use magic to find the key," Merlin offered. He did feel kinda bad for losing the key and breaking his promise from yesterday. It must have somehow gotten out of his pocket and now it was somewhere on the road or in the grass.

Arthur turned to him expectedly. "Do it then," he told Merlin.

Merlin sighed and stopped walking. He focused on the road in front of them and leaned a bit forward, his eyes shining gold. He could see the road, the forest, the fields- but no key.

He stopped when he reached a meadow full of sheep with his magical sight. The key was lying in the grass.

"Found it!" He gave Arthur a smile, but the king didn't seem very impressed. "It's with the sheep."

Merlin could see the surprise and annoyance in Arthur's face clearly.

"That was two hours ago!" Arthur exclaimed as he started walking again.

"Yes, _Mer_ lin," Merlin imitated Arthur, "thank you very much for finding my key again, I've never doubted yo-"

"You _lost_ it in the first place!"

"And then I found it again," Merlin pointed out.

"But you still _lost_ it, _Mer_ lin, so it doesn't count," Arthur decided, probably thinking that would shut Merlin up.

It didn't.

"So does it mean you're not mad at me anymore?" Merlin smiled hesitantly as he looked at Arthur.

Arthur sighed and his shoulders slumped a bit as he continued walking.

"I'm not _mad_ at you, Merlin. I just- let's just find this damn key."

Merlin didn't argue with that. But Arthur was definitely hiding something that he didn't want Merlin to find out about.

"Alright," Merlin nodded as he sped up to catch up with Arthur again. But he'd get Arthur to talk. Sooner or later.

Together they crossed the river and went back, retracing their steps to the meadows along the road. After an hour, they finally reached the forest and continued down the road that led through it.

It was in moments like these when Merlin regretted they didn't take horses with them. Which was Arthur's fault, actually – he was the one who had claimed it would be a short hunting trip.

They both knew how that turned out.

Long walks like these also made Merlin wonder - what did the key unlock? Why didn't Arthur want to tell him? Why was he so grumpy about all of this? And why, oh why, couldn't they just have a peaceful, lazy day in Camelot on his anniversary?

After another hour, they finally reached the meadow with the sheep.

"Where is it?" Arthur asked once they reached the little wooden fence along the road.

Merlin shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? I just know it's somewhere in the grass on the meadow."

"But the meadow is huge!"

 _Baa!_

"We'll just go the same way we went through the meadow the first time!"

"We didn't exactly go in a straight line!"

 _Baa!_

"And whose fault is that?"

"Shut up, _Mer_ lin!"

 _Baa!_

"We'll just have to manage," Merlin shrugged as he climbed over the fence and entered the calm flock of sheep.

They loved him.

 _Baa! Baa!_

Arthur put his arms on his hips and after a while, followed Merlin into the meadow. Some of the sheep ignored him completely, some of them curiously looked up and two were already heading towards him.

Merlin smiled when he saw that.

Then a little cute lamb walked over to him, not afraid in the slightest. Merlin knelt down next to it and patted its head.

 _Baa!_

This right there was the only reason they hadn't gone in a straight line through the meadow – this little cute lamb. And it was Arthur who had insisted on following it around.

But Merlin had to admit, it _was_ adorable.

 _Baa!_

He turned to look at Arthur and gave him a smirk when he saw that Arthur noticed that he was petting the _lamb._ Arthur just frowned at him.

"We need to find it."

 _Baa! Baa!_

Merlin sighed and stood up again. "Sorry, little one," he smiled as he finally started to look around, searching for the key. If it was important to Arthur, then it was important to him.

He just regretted he hadn't taken a better care of it. Even though he didn't even know why Arthur had given him the key in the first place.

"So, what does the key unlock, then?" He tried again.

"I'm your king, Merlin, and I don't need to answer that."

"Yeah, but you gave me the key, so obviously you trust me with the answer."

 _Baa!_

"And _obviously,_ that was a mistake!"

"Come on," Merlin tilted his head as he looked at him, but Arthur ignored him and kept looking at the ground. Merlin was going to get the answer out of Arthur though. Somehow.

They searched the meadow, walking through the grass that thankfully wasn't that high, in the direction of another forest that they had come out of more than four hours ago. Some of the sheep followed them or just watched them silently, curious.

Merlin was also curious – about Arthur and the key.

"Where can it possibly be?" he heard Arthur behind him. "I hope none of you managed to eat it!" He looked at the sheep that were eating the grass next to him.

Merlin sighed and turned around, one more time trying the spell he did before. It might lead him closer to the key, or it might not, but he had to try something. He didn't want to make Arthur this grumpy, especially today.

He focused on the grass and his eyes started shining gold.

For a few seconds, he couldn't see much – just more and more grass and sheep and then the other side of the meadow. But after a while, he managed to see more details - and a blade of grass after another blade of grass, he finally managed to locate the key.

He blinked a few times, readjusting his eyes to seeing everything normally, and started walking in the direction of where he saw the key.

 _Baa!_

There was an apple tree to his left, and he knew that they hadn't walked anywhere near it the first time. He turned right and started looking at the grass on the ground.

Grass, grass, and only grass.

He frowned as he continued searching.

 _Baa!_

And . . . more _grass._

 _Baa!_

And . . . the key!

Merlin smiled as he found it and lifted it off the ground. He shoved it back into his pocket and walked back to Arthur, who was still on the ground, surrounded by sheep.

"I can't believe you _lost_ it," he heard Arthur mumble under his breath.

Merlin pursed his lips as he walked closer.

 _Baa!_

"Arthur, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I should have taken a better care of the key, I know you care about it for some reason."

Before he could give Arthur the key though, Arthur looked up at him and stood up, sighing.

"No, I'm sorry," he said, taking Merlin by surprise. Arthur looked into his eyes and he looked genuine. "I know that today is your anniversary, and I didn't want to ruin the day like this. I know you wanted to spend the day in Camelot . . . "

"Wow," Merlin breathed out with a slight smile on his lips. "You're saying sorry? I don't think I've ever heard you say that."

"Then don't tell anyone. They wouldn't believe you anyway," Arthur smirked at him and then sighed again. He looked around one more time, noticing that the little lamb came to him again.

 _Baa!_

Arthur smiled.

"I didn't know you cared about my anniversary," Merlin admitted, totally forgetting that he'd actually found the key.

Arthur nodded as he patted the little sheep. "I . . . I do care," Arthur looked up at him again. He seemed hesitant, but then he sighed and finally gave up. "The key is from my secret vault in my chambers. It's a little box I keep in my closet, and I gave you the key to show you that I trust you and that there are no longer any secrets between us. You've been here for ten years Merlin, I think you deserve that."

Merlin was touched. He really was. He stared at Arthur with newfound admiration and smiled at him. Arthur returned the smile.

"I'm . . . I don't know what to say." Merlin shook his head, blinking his tears away. He never thought Arthur could be so . . . appreciative of him. Most of the time, he didn't even show he cared. He hated being vulnerable, and he usually sucked at expressing his feelings, which was the reason he did that very rarely.

But this?

Merlin didn't know what to say.

"You can start by saying _thank you,"_ Arthur suggested with a little smile, but Merlin was already shaking his head.

"No," he said, making Arthur frown. "Arthur, that's all really sweet, but . . . " he pursed his lips. "I got into that vault like nine years ago."

"What?!"

 _Baa!_

"I'm sorry!" Merlin quickly defended himself, taking a step back, but Arthur was already standing up.

"You _what?!_ "

"I thought it was full of your favourite socks or something, I mean, you _did_ keep it in the closet with other clothes and-"

" _Mer_ lin!"

 _Baa!_

"Uhm, I found the key?" Merlin smiled at him nervously as he fished the key out of his pocket. Arthur didn't even register it.

Without further hesitation, Merlin turned on his heels and started running away.

"I'm sorry!"

"No, you're not!" Arthur yelled, running after him.

And _this_ was how Merlin spent his 10 year anniversary of working for Arthur.

 _Typical._

 _* the end *_

 **HAPPY MERLIN TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY!**

 **I hope you liked it!**

 **(Sorry for any grammar mistakes, English isn't my first language, and I was watching the first episode while proofreading this. Worth it.)**  
 **(Please leave a review if you liked it, thanks! - In fact, you could write a review about what Merlin means to you for example, it's been ten years and it would be wonderful to read all the different reasons)**

 **(I'll try to make a proper cover asap)**


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